The Tribune

COCONUT Grove, Nassau, comes to Coconut Grove, Miami, on Saturday with the opening of a three-month creative art exhibit paying homage to the Bahamian culture of Goombay and Junkanoo.

'Goombay - A Homage to Coconut Grove Goombay' opens to the public at Kroma Art Space and Studios in celebration of the Bahamian cultural presence and vibrancy of their influence through art and culture with the Miami Goombay Village Party where authentic art, craft, food, music, kids' art zone and culture will resonate in true Bahamian style.

The exhibit is a celebration of cultural expression embracing the legacy of a Bahamian-rooted community known as Coconut Grove. Guest curator Ricardo Treco, Consulate of The Bahamas in Miami, will feature the art works of Maxwell Taylor, Charles Allan Smith, Kourtney Eugene Brown, Nadia Desjardins, Weldon Ryan and Alessandro Sarno.

The exhibition will also launch the beginning of Miami Goombay 2018 festivities that, according to organisers, "promise to transform Grand Avenue into a journey across the ocean, creating a perfect harmony of Caribbean culture of the Bahamas and the African American energy of Miami-Dade County".

A master artist with over 40 years creating, Maxwell Taylor has established an international reputation of excellence and earned a celebrated place in a society that had no place for artists when he was born. Hailing from Grant's Town, Nassau, Mr Taylor's work includes woodcuts, ceramics, linoleum prints and watercolours. He has also been an illustrator for authors and for travelling international shows of the Printmaking Workshop of New York. He has been a teacher of many students at the New York Cultural Affairs Jacob Riis Community Center in Harlem.

Charles Allan Smith - or 'Charlie', as he is better known - is a son of The Bahamas and a Miami resident who is a respected photographer and creative director. He has spent most of his life in front of and behind the camera working with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Johnny Rotten and Joss Stone. His most recent global sensation was the award-winning "When Pigs Swim" documentary.

Kourtney Eugene Brown, an acclaimed visual artist who achieved fame in South Florida from the permanent, public installation of his monumental work "Creos Aetas", a 20ft x 20ft permanent clock tower installation on the historic Borinquen Medical Healthcare Center. He is also the creator of the "Rainforest" Mural at Parrot Jungle Island Park's Serpentarium in Miami Beach.

The work of Nadia Desjardins, a resident artist of Kroma, spans many styles and traditions, from the figurative to the abstract. A native of Switzerland, she completed her studies in Ceramics at the École des Arts Apliquées in Vevey. Weldon Ryan is an established Trinidadian artist who has exhibited at several New York galleries and appeared on many television shows, including The Ricki Lake Show.

Before taking his first photograph in The Bahamas in 2008, Alessandro Sarno had never owned a real camera. Today the Italian who spends half the year in The Bahamas is an internationally recognised travel photographer having published two coffee table books "Blue and Beyond", an illustration of life in The Bahamas, and "Catch da Cat", a homage to Cat Island. His work captures the essence of a people, land and culture.

The activities - which include authentic art, craft, food, music, kids' art zone and culture - will resonate in true Bahamian style, starting at noon on Saturday. Admission is free. The exhibit is open from May 26 to August 26.